Article carrier

ABSTRACT

A basket style article carrier having bottom, side and end walls and a multi-ply medial handle of the telescoping type secured at its ends to the end walls of the carrier is provided with partition structure which in effect is struck from the handle panels, a part of which is foldably joined thereto and another part of which is foldably joined to the top edge of the adjacent side wall thereby to provide a carrier which is characterized by a high degree of mechanical strength and which requires a minimum of material.

United States, Patent i191 Stout f" [111 3,794,210 I [451 Feb. 26, 1974 ARTICLE CARRIER [75] Inventor: James T. Stout, Doraville, Ga.

[73]- Assignee: The Mead Corporation, Dayton,

Ohio

,[22] Filed: June 12, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 261,729

[52] US. CL... 206/173, 2 O 6 1 [51] Int. B65d 85/00 [58] Field ofSearch....220/1l1,112,113,114,115

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,932,425 4/1960 Freeman... 220/113 3,115,273 12/1963 Gish 220/1 15 3,229,849 1/1966 Spillson.... 220/113 3,487,975 1/1970 Riddell 220/113 3,554,401 1/1971 v Wood.. 220/113 6/1972 Forrer 220/113 6/1972 Forrer 220/113 Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Walter M. Rodgers [57] ABSTRACT A basket style article carrier having bottom, side and end walls and a multi-ply medial handle of the telescoping type secured at its ends to the end walls of the carrier is provided with partition structure which in effect is struck from the handle panels, a part of which is foldably joined thereto and another part of which is foldably joined to the top edgeof the adjacent side wall thereby to provide a carrier which is characterized by ahigh degree of mechanical strength and which requires a minimum of material.

10 Claims, Drawing Figures PATENIE F552 6 I914 SHEET 1 BF FIG2 PAIENTEI] FEBZ 6 I974 same [If 3 ARTICLE CARRIER While US. Pat. application Ser. No. 881,558 filed Dec. l, 1969 now Pat. No. 3,669,306 is not limited to a six-cell article carrier, its arrangement is similar in certain respects to this invention which in a sense constitutes an improvement whereby an eight-cell carrier is provided although this invention is not specifically limited to an eight-cell carrier.

An article carrier having bottom, side and end walls and a multi-ply medial handle secured at its ends to the end walls may be provided with partition structure according to one form of the invention in which an anchoring tab is foldably joined to one ply of the handle and arranged with a portion thereof in flat face to face relation with such handle ply, and a transverse partition strip foldably joined at its inner end to said anchoring tab and at its outer end to an anchoring flap foldably joined to the top edge of the adjacent side wall and secured in flat face contacting relation with the inner surface of the side wall. in a more specific form of the invention, a second transverse partition strip may be foldably joined at its ends to the anchoring tab and anchoring flap respectively and if desired a reinforcing strip may be foldably joined to the second partition strip and to one ply of the handle. According to a more specific form of the invention a second reinforcingstrip may be foldably joined to a different ply of the handle from that to which the aforementioned partition strip is joined and a third transverse partition strip may be foldably joined to the second reinforcing strip along its top edge and at its outer end to the aforementioned anchoring flap.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a set-up but unloaded carrier formed according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view ofthe blank from which the carrier of FIG. 1 is formed; FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 represent intermediate gluing and folding operations through which the blank of FIG. 2 is manipulated; and in which FIG. 6 represents the final complete collapsed carrier constructed from the blank of FIG. 2. In the drawing the numeral 1 designates a 'side wall to the bottom edge of which a glue flap 2'is foldably joined along'a fold line 3. End wall panels 4 and 5 are foldably joined to the end edges of side wall 1 along fold lines 6 and 7 respectively. Riser panel 8 is foldably joined to end wall panel 4 along fold line 9 and constitutes a medial partition panel. Riser panel 10 is foldably joined to end wall panel 5 along fold line 11 and is provided with a projecting portion designated by the numeral 12 which forms a portion of a medial partition for the carrier. Locking notches 13 and 14 are formed in riser panels 8 and 10 in known manner.

The handle of the carrier comprises an inner handle panel 15 which is foldably joined to riser panel 8 along fold line 9 and which is foldably joined to inner handle panel 16 along medial fold line 17. Outer handle panel 18 is foldably joined to riser panel 10 along fold line 11 and to outer handle panel 19 along medial fold line 20. A slit generally designated by the numeral 21 separates inner handle panel 15 from inner panel 16 and such slit is provided with enlarged end portions 22 and 23, the slit being effective to facilitate manipulation of the inner panels 15 and 16 during the carrier folding and gluing operations. The other side of the carrier is simi lar to that described above and comprises a riser panel 24 which is foldably joined to end wall panel 25 along a fold line 26 and which is provided with a projection generally designated by the numeral 27. Side wall 28 is foldably joined-to end wall panel 25 along fold line 29 and to end wall panel 30 along fold line 31. Riser panel 32 is foldably joined to end wall panel 30 and to outer handle panel 19 along fold line 33. As is apparent from the drawings, riser panel 32 is characterized by a substantial lateral dimension which constitutes a portion of the medial partition structure folded underneath the handle. Locking notches which are conventional are provided in riser panels 24 and 32 and are designated by the numerals 34 and 35.

Bottom wall 36 is foldably joined along fold line 37 to the bottom edge of side wall 28 and is provided with a medial fold line 38 at an end of which a locking notch 39 of conventional construction is provided.

Partition structure constructed according to this invention may be interposed between the handle and each of the side walls 1 and 28. For example, the elements which constitute the partition structure disposed between the handle and side wall 28 comprises an anchoring flap 40 which is foldably joined along fold line 41 to the top edge of'side wall 28'together with an anchoring tab 42 which is foldably joined to ply 19 of the handle along horizontal fold line 43. A first transverse partition 44 is foldably joined at its outer end to anchoring flap 40 "along fold line 44a and at its inner end to anchoring tab 42 along fold line 45. A second transverse partition strip 46 is foldably joined along its outer end 47 with anchoring flap 40 and at its inner end to anchoring tab 42 along fold line 48. A reinforcing strip 49 is foldably joined to ply 19 of the handle along a fold line 50 and to second transverse partition strip 46 along fold line 51. If the carrier is to be an eight-cell device, a third transverse partition strip 52 may be provided and as shown is foldably joined along fold line 53 with anchoring flap 40 and along fold line 54 to the top edge of reinforcing strip 55 which in turn is foldably joined to ply 16 of the handle along fold line 56.

The partition structure on the other side of the carrier between the handle and side wall 1 comprises anchoring flap 57 foldably joined to the top edge of side wall 1 along fold line 58 together with anchoring tab 59 which is foldably joined to ply 18 of the handle along horizontal fold. line 60. A first transverse partition strip 61 is foldably joined along. fold line 62 to anchoring flap 57 at its outer end and to anchoring tab 59 along fold line 63 at its inner end. A second transverse partition strip 64 is foldably joined at its outer end to anchoring flap 57v along fold line 65 and at its inner end to anchoring tab 59 along fold line 66. A reinforcing strip 67 is foldably joined to the second transverse partition strip 64 along fold line 68 and to ply 18 along fold line 69. If the carrier is an eight-cell carrier, a third transverse partition strip 70 may be provided and is foldably joined to anchoring flap 57 along fold line 71 and to a second reinforcing strip 72 along a fold line 73. Reinforcing strip 72 is foldably joined to ply 15 along fold line 74.

In order to form the carrier from the blank of FIG. 2 into collapsed condition as represented in FIG. 6, several gluing and folding operations are performed. lnitially an application of glue is made as indicated by stippling in FIG. 2 to the inner surfaces of anchoring flaps 40 and 57. Following this application of glue, anchorv ing flap 40 is elevated and folded forwardly and down- 4 operation causes the anchoring flap 40 to adhere to the inner surface of side wall 28. Simultaneously anchoring flap 57 is folded upwardly along fold line 58 into the position'depicted in FIG. 3. As before, this folding operation causes the third transverse partition strip 70 to fold along fold line 73 and causes anchoring tab 59 to fold along fold line 60. Second transverse partition strip 64 folds along fold line 68 and upon completion of this folding operation, anchoring flap 57 is adhered to the inside surface of side wall 1 and the blank then appears as shown in FIG. 3.

An application of glue is then made to the blank as shown by stippling in FIG. 3. More specifically glue is applied to the upper ends of riser panels 8 and 24 and to the left hand ends of inner handle panel plys 15 and I6 and to the inner surface of outer handle panel plys l8 and 19. Thereafter end wall panels 4 and 25 are elevated and folded toward the right along fold lines 6 and 29 respectively which operation is accompanied by folding of inner handle plys lS'and 16 relative to. riser panels 8 and 24 along fold lines 9 and 26. Simultaneously third transverse partition strips 52 and 70 fold along fold lines 53 and 71 respectively while the second reinforcing strips 54 and 72 fold along their respective fold lines 56 and 74. This folding operation causes the upper ends of the riser panels 8 and 24 to become adhered to the inner surfaces of inner handle plys l5 and I6 and also causes inner handle plys l5 and 16 to adhere to the inner surfaces of outer handle panel plys l8 and 19 respectively. Upon completion of this folding operation the blank appears as shown in FIG. 4.

An application of glue is then made as indicated in FIG. 4 by stippling to the inner surfaces of the right hand ends of outer handle panels 18 and 19 and to the upper ends of riser panels 10 and 32 as well as to the anchoring tab 42 and if desired to the mid-portion of riser panel 32 as indicated at 32a, Thereafter riser panels 10 and 32 are elevated and folded toward the left along fold lines 11 and 33 respectively to cause the upper ends ofthe riser panels to become adhered to the inner surfaces of the outer handle plys l8 and 19. Si-

. multaneously riser panel 32 becomes adhered at 32a to anchoring tab 42 and the blank then appears as shown in FIG. 5.

An application of glue is then made to riser panels 8 and 24, I and 32, to the glue flap 2 and to an edge of bottom wall 36 as well as to the interior ofinner handle plys l and 16 as indicated by stippling in FIG. 5. Following this application of glue, side wall I and all elements of the blank disposed above the fold lines 17 and 20 as viewed in FIG. 5 are elevated and folded forwardly to occupy the positions depicted in FIG. 6 wherein the carrier is complete and wherein riser panels 8 and 24 are adhered to each other and glue flap 2 is secured to the edge of bottom wall 36 while riser panels 32 and are secured together. This operation also causes the projection 12 of riser panel 10 to adhere to projection 27 of riser panel 24 thereby to strengthen the blank materially. Furthermore the inner edge 8a of riser panel 8 becomes adhered to the inner edge 32b of riser panel 32 thereby to form a partition underneath the handle which not only serves as a partition but which adds considerably to the mechanical strength and durability of the carrier and in part accounts for the fact that the partition structure may be derived at by very little utilization of material from what ordinarily constitutes the handle of the carrier. The carrier appears then in collapsed form as shown inFIG. 6. To set up the carrier the side walls are held against movement toward the left and the endwall panels 5 and 30 are urged toward the left until the notch 39 engages notch 13, 34. 7

While the structure shown and described incorporates a so-called telescoping handle in which panels and 16 are arranged in telescoping relation to outer handle panels 18 and 19, the invention is not limited to such an arrangement and may be utilized in a carrier wherein panels such as 15 and 16 are foldably joined to panels 18 and 19 in variousways such as shown, for example, in US. Pat. No. 3,349,957.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Partition structure for a basket style article carrier having bottom, side and end walls and a multi-ply medial handle secured at its ends to said end walls, said partition structure comprising an anchoring tab foldably joined to one ply of said handle and arranged with ,a portion thereof in flat face to face relation with said ply of said handle, at least onetransverse partition strip foldably joined at its inner end to said anchoring tab, and an anchoring flap foldably joined to the top edge of one of said side walls and secured in flat face to face relation with the inner surface of said one side wall and foldably joined to the outer end of said partition strip.

' tion strip and to said one ply of said handle.

5. Partition structure according to claim 4 wherein said reinforcing strip is foldably joined to said second partition strip along the top edge of said second reinforcing strip and to said one ply of said handle along a substantially vertical fold line.

6. Partition structure according to claim 1 wherein 8. Partition structure according to claim 7 wherein said anchoring tab is folded downwardly to occupy a position generally lower than said second transverse partition strips.

9. Partition structure according to claim 4 wherein a second reinforcing strip is foldably joined to a ply of said handle other than said one ply and wherein a third transverse partition strip is foldably joined to said second reinforcing strip along its top edge and to said anchoring flap at its outer end.

10. Partition structure for a basket style article carrier having bottom, side and end walls and a multi-ply medial handle secured at its ends to said end walls, said partition structure comprising an anchoring tab foldably joined to one ply of said handle and arranged with a portion thereof in flat face to face relation with said ply of said handle, at least one transverse partition strip foldably joined at its inner end to said anchoring tab, an anchoring flap foldably joined to the top edge of one of said side walls and secured in flat face to face relation with the inner surface of said one side wall and foldably joined to the outer end of said partition strip, a second transverse partition strip foldably joined at its ends to said anchoring tab and to said anchoring flap respectively, a reinforcing strip foldably joined to said second partition strip and to said one ply of said handle, a second reinforcing strip foldably joined to a ply of said handle other than said one ply, and a third transverse partition strip foldably joined to said second reinforcing strip along its top edge and to said anchoring flap at its outer end. 

1. Partition structure for a basket style article carrier having bottom, side and end walls and a multi-ply medial handle secured at its ends to said end walls, said partition structure comprising an anchoring tab foldably joined to one ply of said handle and arranged with a portion thereof in flat face to face relation with said ply of said handle, at least one transverse partition strip foldably joined at its inner end to said anchoring tab, and an anchoring flap foldably joined to the top edge of one of said side walls and secured in flat face to face relation with the inner surface of said one side wall and foldably joined to the outer end of said partition strip.
 2. Partition structure according to claim 1 wherein said anchoring tab is folded downwardly along a generally horizontal fold line between said ply and said anchoring tab.
 3. Partition structure according to claim 1 wherein a second transverse partition strip is foldably joined at its ends to said anchoring tab and to said anchoring flap respectively.
 4. Partition structure according to claim 3 wherein a reinforcing strip is foldably joined to said second partition strip and to said one ply of said handle.
 5. Partition structure according to claim 4 wherein said reinforcing strip is foldably joined to said second partition strip along the top edge of said second reinforcing strip and to said one ply of said handle along a substantially vertical fold line.
 6. Partition structure according to claim 1 wherein both of said transverse partition strips and said anchoring tab are struck from said one ply of said handle.
 7. Partition structure according to claim 6 wherein said anchoring tab is struck from a part of said one ply of said handle nearer the top edge of said one ply of said handle than said second transverse partition strip.
 8. Partition structure according to claim 7 wherein said anchoring tab is folded downwardly to occupy a position generally lower than said second transverse partition strips.
 9. Partition structure according to claim 4 wherein a second reinforcing strip is foldably joined to a ply of said handle other than said one ply and wherein a third transverse partition strip is foldably joined to said second reinforcing strip along its top edge and to said anchoring flap at its outer end.
 10. Partition structure for a basket style article carrier having bottom, side and end walls and a multi-ply medial handle secured at its ends to said end walls, said partition structure comprising an anchoring tab foldably joined to one ply of said handle and arranged with a portion thereof in flat face to face relation with said ply of said handle, at least one transverse partition strip foldably joined at its inner end to said anchoring tab, an anchoring flap foldably joined to the top edge of one of said side walls and secured in flat face to face relation with the inner surface of said one side wall and foldably joined to tHe outer end of said partition strip, a second transverse partition strip foldably joined at its ends to said anchoring tab and to said anchoring flap respectively, a reinforcing strip foldably joined to said second partition strip and to said one ply of said handle, a second reinforcing strip foldably joined to a ply of said handle other than said one ply, and a third transverse partition strip foldably joined to said second reinforcing strip along its top edge and to said anchoring flap at its outer end. 